The Sprout

Installing solar panels

The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Issue 162 November 2021

The Sprout

The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,

Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer

Editor

Ag MacKeith

South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk

Advertising Manager

Michael Cockman

50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Te l : 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk

Deliveries

Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox

15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk

Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is

welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.

Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the

last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all

other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact

sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact

the Advertising Manager.

Advertising rates:

½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £322

¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £161

1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £80.50

Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The

Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription – only £12 per annum,

delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this

newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for

any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is

not a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do

so in a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual

contributors.

All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.

The Sprout is printed by Dataprint Ltd, and published by North

Hinksey Parish Publications Ltd, (a company limited by

guarantee) Registration No. 05609535.

It can also be found online at BotleyHinksey.org.uk

The Sprout

Issue 162, November 2021

Contents

3 Climate Crisis – where do we

come in?

5 Making sense of saving energy

7 Effective Recycling

9 Botley School Running Club

11 Greening your Garden

17 Managing Credit Shortfall

19 Getting to Net Zero

21 Farewell Botley Health Walks

23 Retrofitting a 1950s Semi

25 Remembrance Sunday

27 Lucy’s Marathon

29 BMC Progress Report

31 Cumnor Choral Society

33 Botley Apple Day, Planning

Applications

34 Randoms

35 Local Organizations

From the Editor

In view of the vital importance of the COP26 talks in Glasgow this

month, the November Sprout is dedicated to local initiatives to

combat climate change and support biodiversity. The Botley Green

Guide, inserted with this issue, is funded by the parish council and

full of good ideas. It was launched at the public meeting that set up

Sustainable Botley, the band of local people eager to get things

moving that are better done working together. In this issue you will

find two articles on retrofitting your house (pages 19 and 23), one

on cultivating your garden for wildlife (p11), and other items on

recycling and energy-saving. (The picture on the cover shows a

team installing solar panels in a 2017 government initiative to put

them on 800,000 low-income houses.) On other subjects, Botley

School kids have been running in a marathon (p9) and Lucy Monks

has been reading one (p27). The original Botley Health Walks, set

up by Briony and Roy Newport in 2002 (p21) has decided to call it a

day and hand over the baton to someone else. Since we received

the article, we have heard the sad news that Roy died on 14th

October. We send our heartfelt sympathy to Briony. Roy was an

early Sprout supporter and a power in the community – an obituary

will follow in due course.

Ag MacKeith

Botley and the Climate Crisis

– where do we come in?

As you read this, politicians and climate experts from across the

world will be arriving in Glasgow for the United Nations COP26

Conference. This is shaping up to be the most important event so far

in the history of environmental concern: the lead up shows promise,

but we need more than words, words, words: we need action!

Glasgow and the UN may seem a long way from Botley, but we have

our part to play. Global agreements need national laws to turn them

into action, and that action happens where we live.

But we can do more than just react to national decisions. We can

influence change in various ways:

• We can recognise what needs to be done locally and help do

it. That can range from the simple actions in the ‘Green Guide’

through to installing solar panels on our roofs or helping with local

conservation initiatives.

• We can push for change. Our councillors and MPs tend to focus

on issues that worry their constituents. A letter about the need for

more effective action across Oxfordshire shows them that you are

worried and want them to act.

• Above all we need to accept the need for change – and get

others to do so. Changes are needed in how we heat our homes

and how we travel – and what we eat. We need to play our part

and support the politicians making what may be hard decisions.

There are plenty of ways to get involved. The new Sustainable

Botley group is getting going and there are other groups already

active here and across Oxford. Other articles in this Sprout have

more ideas and advice.

And there’s one immediate action for us all – get involved with the

Global Day of Action for Climate Justice on Saturday 6th

November! There are events happening all over the world as well

as online. Everyone can add their voice to demand real and fair

action from their local and national governments. There will be a

March and Rally in Oxford – starting from Manzil Way on Cowley

Road at 1.30pm and ending at 3pm with a Rally in Broad Street.

At 11am we will also be holding a short event here in Botley at

Church Way. We’ll be meeting to send a photo message to the

Prime Minister and sharing that on social media as a warm-up to the

Rally. Please join us with banners, placards, musical instruments,

green balloons and anything else to send a strong visual message!

Others will be doing the same across the county at the same time.

Making sense of saving energy

It’s always made sense to save energy – we pay for it so why waste

it? But much waste is down to the nature of our homes rather than

about switching lights off. UK homes are badly insulated compared

to the rest of Europe, and account for around 20% of the UK’s

‘greenhouse gas’ emissions, so this is a key area for action. As

energy prices rise, it makes even more sense to look hard at how

we can save energy and money. We need government support, but

we can all play a part in cutting energy use.

Recent government announcements on energy focus on grants for

heat pumps, available from next April. But there’s little point in

investing in new equipment if energy is still being wasted. The

simplest and cheapest ways to save are around cutting draughts –

so do these first. Check where the draughty parts of the house are,

and get it sorted. Other simple actions are in the Green Guide and

here: https://energysaving trust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/

Saving energy isn’t a one-off, it takes long-term planning and getting

everyone in your household engaged. It’s also something to focus

on if you are having any home improvement work done. Two articles

(pages 19 and 23) show ways people have set to work retrofitting

their Elms Rise homes.

Yo u can work out where and how to invest time and money with the

help of this official website: https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/

It has never mattered more!

Chris Church

Recycling – Time to Step It Up

Here in the Vale we’re amongst the country’s recycling leaders. We

have a good collection rate for residential recyclable materials

(63.3% March 2021). But we could do more. Over 80% of household

waste can be recycled. According to WRAP, the recycling charity,

“Now more than ever it’s vital we do everything to protect our planet

and go that extra mile. Most of us recycle, but we need to do more

to combat climate change. It all adds up.” The UK’s current recycling

saves 18 million tonnes of CO

every year, which is the same as

taking 12 million cars off the road.

We need people to look at what they are (and are not) putting in

their bins. It’s not just about putting more into our green recycling

bins (or the communal facilities, if you live in a flat) but also about

being mindful about what’s not wanted in these collections.

Contamination is an on-going problem. Nappies, garden waste,

batteries, dirty food packaging, clothing and textiles need to be kept

out. Putting them in can cause whole loads to be rejected at the

processing plant. There is no need to bag recycling (and no black

bags please). And remember to rinse and squash containers, too.

Not sure what can be collected in our door-to-door recycling

collections? The Vale has a list at: https://bit.ly/valewasteinfo

Over one quarter of food waste still ends up in the wrong bin.

The Vale has a separate weekly collection so please use it for all

food scraps and un-edible items like bones. It is sent to a local

facility, which captures gas to make electricity and a soil conditioner

for nearby farms.

And what happens to the black bin? Most of Oxfordshire’s residual

(non-recyclable) waste goes to the Ardley Energy Recovery Facility

where it is burnt, creating

enough energy to power 54,000

homes.

More recycling is important. But

it’s also important to think about

how we can reduce and cut our

waste, and how we can reuse

materials. The Botley ‘Green

Guide’ has more ideas on how

we can do this Jan McHarry

Botley School Running Club

Running a half marathon (13.1miles) can be quite daunting for some

children, but if you spread the miles out so that children can run a

little bit 3 times a week, it becomes a palatable idea. This is what we

offered to KS2 children at Botley School: a running club for 15

minutes, three times a week for 5 weeks. The commitment

demonstrated by the regular attendance, the happy (and red!) faces

that we saw when the morning bell rang and the smiles and positive

energy released by physical activity was worth everybody’s efforts.

Being able to run the final mile at the Official Oxford Half 2021 on

17th October, alongside other children who had also run the 12.1

miles before the race, was an exciting occasion, which will definitely

be worth organising again next year.

All the children and parents arrived, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at

8.30am. Their adrenaline was clearly pumping even on a brisk

Sunday morning! We entertained the children on the leafy lawns of

Balliol College with songs, games and a leaf display – as well as a

warm up conga (see photo)! This was led in part by our fantastic

Year 6 School Sports Leaders.

As we rolled out to the

starting line, the hours of

training paid off. Botley

children felt genuinely

ready for that last mile – so

ready in fact that we took

2nd and 3rd places in the

actual race. What is more,

everybody finished the

race safely, to earn their

first running medal. It goes

without saying that our

committed staff at Botley School helped make this magic happen.

As someone wise once said: it’s not the winning that counts but the

taking part. Never has this been truer than during the last five weeks

at Botley School, as sport connected so many families and friends,

through chilly, wet and muddy mornings to medals on Broad Street.

We will be back even bigger and better next year – can’t wait!

Alex Neil

How Green is Your Garden?

This article isn’t about Botley in Bloom, or any other competition. It’s

not even just about front gardens. It is an attempt to encourage

everyone to think about what they can do in their own outside space

to make Botley greener and help mitigate the damaging effects of

climate change. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a gardener

you should be aware of the issues.

In my role as one of the judges of Botley in Bloom Front Gardens,

I’ve long been considering one of our competition categories. It’s

unarguably the most important one of all, namely that of ‘Best

Cultivated Wildlife Front Garden’. We had to add ‘cultivated’ as

probably the best gardening for wildlife would be to do nothing at all

– but that doesn’t add up to a competition! The physical and mental

benefits to us of gardening are well documented. Even if you only

have room for a window box or a balcony, read on for some ideas of

how to garden responsibly.

Wildlife-friendly gardens

We have some lovely gardens in Botley and those at the front are

enjoyed by the whole neighbourhood, so here are a few tips to

ensure our local wildlife enjoy them too:

• Choose hedges rather than fences.

• Add climbers to walls – ivy is particularly good for wildlife.

• Ensure you plant pollinators, check out bee- and butterfly-friendly

plants.

• Try to use native plants as they support a greater diversity of

wildlife.

• Ensure you have ‘wildlife corridors’, i.e. spaces in your bounda-

ries to allow hedgehogs and other mammals to move around the

local area.

• Don’t remove seed-heads until the birds have helped themselves.

• Cut your grass much less often (if at all). Uncut grass quickly be-

comes a meadow.

• Never use pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides anywhere.

• Make a log pile. A great hiding place for insects and inverte-

brates, it will also attract many other species looking for a tasty

snack.

• Have water in your garden. Even the smallest pond attracts frogs,

toads, newts, and a host of insects including damselflies and

dragonflies.

These last two points merit an article of their own and are great

projects to involve the whole family.

We know that we have serious pollution problems along the A34.

Did you know that gardens can operate as net carbon sinks,

absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they

release?

Planet-friendly gardens

I love lists so here’s another. If you are lucky enough to have a

garden, these are some further points to bear in mind for all outside

spaces:

• ALWAYS buy peat-free compost. It will be labelled as such.

Peatlands store a third of the world’s soil carbon, and one metre

of peat takes 1,000 years to form. They are being alarmingly de-

pleted.

• Make your own compost from garden and kitchen waste.

• Install a rainwater butt. Rainwater is much better for your plants

anyway.

• Mulching will keep soil healthy and reduce moisture loss.

• Recycle, upcycle, or try to use local materials where possible.

• Re-use plastic pots and seed trays and avoid buying new plastic.

• We need to park our cars safely but don’t be tempted to pave

over your front garden.

Reasons not to replace your garden with a car park

Here’s one reason why. Did you know that if you pave over your

front garden (or make it impermeable in some other way) you could

be contributing directly to sewage being released into the Seacourt

Stream? This startling and unsavoury fact came to light during a

discussion on the importance of greening our gardens. Rainwater

that cannot be absorbed into the ground goes directly into the

drainage system. But this wasn’t designed to cope with the extra

water from the downpours that have now become normal. Heavy

rain opens the Combined Sewer Overflow valve, which drains into

the local river. Driveway legislation was introduced in 2008 to reduce

the impact of flooding. Any new driveway over 5m

must provide a

permeable area for the water to run to. If it doesn’t, you need to

have planning permission, and failure to do so is an offence carrying

a hefty fine.

Two more reasons: Firstly, hard surfaces soak up heat during the

day then release it into the surrounding environment at night,

contributing to overall warming of the environment. Secondly,

paving over front gardens hits wildlife and biodiversity hard. Insects

and other small organisms lose their habitat with a knock-on effect

for mammals and birds.

Is it time to rethink your own front garden? If more people were able

to plant up their front gardens then there would be more continuous

wildlife habitat, greatly benefitting the environment. You may even

wish to enter next year’s Botley in Bloom Front Garden competition.

I’m sure you can think of many more points to add to my

suggestions above. The Sprout would love to hear your ideas.

Viv Smith

Citizens Advice on coping

with Universal Credit shortfall

This year, the month of September ushered in

more ominous portents than chilly winds and

dark nights: the Government reduced Universal

Credit payments by £20 a week. This move could put

many floundering people in a critical situation. Rising prices and the

coming end of the pandemic furlough have joined other negative

trends to put millions in serious debt, unable to pay vital bills and

about to see life get even worse.

But, if you are in this position, remember that support and help are

available and you need not suffer alone.

Tak e ch arg e of you r sit ua tio n. St art by m aki ng a l ist o f wh at y ou o we

and add up what you need to pay out each month. This list puts your

financial position clearly in front of you in black and white. Next,

prioritise your debts. There is advice on the Citizens Advice website

to help you do this: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-

money. Some bills are more urgent than others. Rent or mortgage

arrears, fuel bills and Council Tax count as priority debts as there

could be serious consequences if you don’t pay them.

Get in touch with the companies to whom you owe money. Not

everybody feels confident about doing this, but the organisations

expect such calls, and they might be able to help by letting you pay

smaller amounts over a longer period, or even take a temporary

payment break.

The government-backed Breathing Space scheme could also give

you extra time to pay. See our website for details or www.gov.uk. If

you are eligible, you could get 60 days during which your creditors

can’t contact you, take any action against you or add interest and

charges to your debt. A Citizens Advice adviser can check your

debts to see if they are covered by the scheme.

If you need more specific support, or don’t feel able to manage your

situation alone, call the Citizens Advice debt helpline on 0800 240

4420. It really helps to make personal contact with somebody who

understands. You can also call our Adviceline free on 0808 278 7907

(Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) or try our webchat (click on “chat

with us online about debt”). Darius Halpern

Getting to Net Zero

When I moved to Elms Rise in 2007, I had good intentions to get

external wall insulation on my solid-walled house. I’ve worked on

energy and climate change since the early 1980s – from researching

renewable energy to supporting groups and individuals in the

journey towards sustainable living. My own tendency is towards

frugality and it was a big thing to think about major improvements to

the house – much easier to wear extra clothes in winter and hunker

down in the sitting room with my woodstove.

In 2017 lots of things started happening around climate action. At

COP15 in Paris, governments had agreed that we needed to limit

global warming to “well below 2°C” and preferably below 1.5°C. The

report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2018

set out how nasty things could get with 2°C of warming. It also made

it clear that we would have very few years to get to net zero global

greenhouse gas emissions if we wanted to be sure of staying below

1.5°C. Extinction Rebellion picked up on this, demanding a

commitment to net zero by 2025.

I realised I’d owned my house for over ten years and wasn’t about to

move – and I really needed to sort it out as it was cold, damp and

mouldy. I decided to go for the Passivhaus retrofit standard

(‘EnerPHit’), which involves high levels of insulation for the walls,

roof and floor, triple glazing, airtightness and mechanical ventilation

with heat recovery.

Oxford architects Transition by Design and Cumnor-based builder

Alex McCarthy took on the work. Alex started on-site in February

2020 so it was a real lockdown project. Joju Solar provided the PV

and battery, and I got a small air-to-air heat pump which gives 4-

5kWh of heat for each 1kWh of electricity it uses.

Most of the solar electricity gets exported to the grid and I expect the

emissions embodied in the build to be paid off by 2025. Last

winter I used 200kWh of electricity to maintain the house above

16°C. Heating to 20°C would need about twice as much. The

average house uses around 12,000kWh of gas. I don’t expect the

reduced cost of heating to justify the amount I spent on the rebuild –

it was more about doing what felt right. I learned a lot in the process

and I’m happy to share what I can.

My house is one of the smaller semis at the bottom of Elms Rise. If

you pass it you’ll recognise it as the one that’s now bright yellow,

with windows that look somehow different from the neighbours, and

saplings growing in what used to be the parking space at the front. If

you’d like to know more about the technicalities there’s a case study

and a webinar here: https://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/oxford-

enerphit-plus/. And if you’d like a chat, do come and say hello or

drop me a line at laurie@livingwitness.org.uk. Laurie Michaelis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Farewell from the original Botley Health Walks

It has been decided not to re-

sume the walks again after the

various lockdowns and social dis-

tancing measures. We started on

9th September 2004 after training

as walk leaders by the then na-

tional Look After Your Heart

Campaign. Our trainer left her

job straight after, and none of the

local authorities seemed to have

been told we existed. Two years later Oxfordshire County Council

contacted us to find out what had taken place. The Government

were keen to have statistics about what “health issues” were being

addressed, so Botley Health Walks were mopped up and put on the

OCC map. The Sprout was always supportive and listed us in the

clubs’ section – which was of great help as a non-supporter removed

all our advertising posters overnight.

Over the years many participated, the youngest was two years old

(in a pushchair) and the oldest a visitor called Ida, at 88. Var ious

walk routes, all pre-tested and not more than three miles, included

hilly and flat ones. We enjoyed social events together, visits to

woods, bluebell walks, walked around Farmoor, Wytham and Abing-

don, had meals together and a Christmas meal every year.

We would like to thank those who supported Botley Health Walks

over the years. We all nattered noisily together, had lots of fun to-

gether and new friendships were enjoyed. There are other walk

groups and ventures in the locality and we hope these will be as well

supported. The picture shows one of our last walks in 2019.

Briony & Roy Newport

Retrofitting a 1950s Semi on Elms Rise

We started a slow retrofit of our 1950’s semi on Cedar Road after we

moved in around 6 years ago. We don’t have a large pot of savings,

so we have kept control of the various stages of construction by

compartmentalizing each stage, and subsequently each trade.

We’ve been going around in circles about how to do this efficiently

and cost effectively. When we bought the house, we understood that

there was a great deal to do to achieve anything close to current

building regs, let alone EnerPhit standard.

The first step was cavity wall insulation. Next came the extension.

We wanted access onto the back garden, but we didn’t want to put

triple glazing into badly built walls, so we insulated them externally.

The contractor thought we were mad, but we managed it, although

the new Velfac window in the kitchen only opens halfway. Velfac

windows, unlike normal ones, are installed after the wall is finished

and they have a specific opening mechanism, which requires more

space. It was an important lesson for us: we are both architects, but

most of our work has been on large construction projects.

At the same time, we replaced the old PVC front door with a triple

glazed Velfac front door. And we replaced the plasterboard ceilings

on the first floor with insulated plasterboard, as loose insulation

cannot be inserted easily into this space. One easy win was adding

a lot of loose insulation into the roof space – we probably have

around 400mm of insulation up there now.

Since that first stage, we have been desperately trying to work out

how to proceed with the rest of the house. There are so many issues

to deal with and each decision has knock-on effects. But finally, the

cold bridge caused by the concrete gutter/lintel/wall plate (very

efficient use of concrete at the time) was driving us mad. The mould,

which would not have been a problem in the past, when gas was

cheap and we overheated our homes, was becoming annoying, and

difficult to resolve. So, the next stage began. We employed a

company to remove the gutter and extend the joists by one tile, so

we had enough space under the gutter to butt up the 100mm

insulation. Peter was up on the scaffolding frantically shoving

insulation into the new void while the new facia was being installed,

much to the contractor’s amusement. But it was worth it.

The next stage was the insulation and new render on all the parts of

the house that were already white and rendered. Research

suggested that the only company that genuinely knew what they

were talking about was in Wales. This stage is now complete, and

we have had the window manufacturers down to measure up the

openings for the new triple-glazed windows (as per earlier lessons in

this process), to replace the very old and leaky double glazed PVC

ones. It turns out that the little window in the bathroom is too small

for the type of window we are using, so it will need to be adapted

when we move onto the next big construction stage.

The job is still far from finished. We will need to find a suitable

ventilation system for this more airtight construction. We need to

rebuild the wall of the lounge to take new triple glazed windows, and

we really need to think about how we are going to reduce the heat

loss through the floor… but we are getting there, slowly. Fingers

crossed, next time we re-mortgage, we will be able to gain some

benefit from having a more energy-efficient house – which

apparently is a factor now in the interest rates.

What has become apparent during this process is how much the

construction sector has to learn about retrofitting to achieve a

reduced carbon future in our current building stock. But they – and

we – are learning all the time, and every single project increases

that knowledge.

Melissa Kinnear and Peter Newton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Parish Council Remembrance Day Service

Following last year’s minimalist NHPC Remembrance Day Service,

this year’s service will be returning to its traditional format. The

Service, to be held in the Commonwealth War Graves plot within

Botley Cemetery on 14th November between 10.45 and 11.45am,

will see participation by members of the United Kingdom’s Armed

Forces, the Commonwealth, and representatives from those other

countries whose Service Personnel are laid to rest within the

Cemetery. Involvement from the Parish will include Scouts, Guides

and pupils from Matthew Arnold School, alongside local voluntary

and community organizations, dignitaries and religious leaders. All

members of the Parish are warmly invited to attend the Service and

to participate in the Act of Remembrance, commemorating those

who made the ultimate sacrifice. Cllr Graham Fairclough

Lucy’s Marathon

• How old are you, Lucy? I'm 8

years old!

• You h a v e r e a d 2 6 b o o k s i n 2 6

weeks for charity. That's a won-

derful achievement! What gave

you that idea? I like challenges

and I like reading :-) My Aunty

asked me to help her with her

fundraising for the London Mara-

thon and let me choose a charity.

I did 26 books because there are

26 miles in a marathon and I

wanted to make a "Marathon of

Books"!

• What was your favourite book of

the 26? The least favourite? My

favourites were A Boy Called

Christmas and the Truth Pixie, because Matt Haig is my favourite

author. My least favourite was probably Fairy School: Fairy Dust.

• Has reading so many books put you off reading more, or inspired

you to read more? More, more, more!

• You raised an amazing £290 for the Botley Bikers, who cycle into

Oxford to bring food to people experiencing homelessness. Why

the Botley Bikers? Because it is a local charity. I also help

them by baking cakes or biscuits to deliver once a week, and I

wanted to help them more.

• The money will go towards buying milk, bananas, satsumas and

cheese. Which of those do you like best? All of them! Cheese

on pizza, especially :-)

• Lucy, what do you do when you're not reading books and baking

cakes for homeless people? Lots of things... Football, Cubs,

Brownies, swimming, play with my friends and I'm learning to roll-

er skate. I love drawing and art, and I LOVE dogs. And I go to

school and do my homework (boring!).

Rike Therivel

Botley Medical Centre progress report

First some questions from the PPG exec.

Q. GPs are in short supply at BMC. What can patients consult the

other clinicians at the practice about?

A. Such appointments can be forward-booked. Our receptionists

will guide you to the most appropriate clinician, as follows:

Pharmacists: can carry out medication reviews, request and issue

prescriptions, review and set up Dosette Boxes, and help with

medication queries including adverse reactions. They apply their

expertise to patients discharged from Hospital or secondary care.

We have an in-house Lead Pharmacist and two PCN Pharmacists.

We are recruiting a pharmacy technician to help process

prescriptions.

Physiotherapists: can assess, diagnose, treat, and manage

musculoskeletal (MSK) problems and undifferentiated conditions

and discharge a patient without a medical referral. They usually treat

back pain, foot and knee pain, etc.

Minor Illness Paramedic: sees ear and eye infections, minor pain

management, abdominal pain, chest infections, colds, coughs, skin

rashes, and urinary tract infections.

Advance Nurse Prescriber: can see Minor Illness, and Asthma and

Contraception.

Physician Associates: treat the same conditions as GPs but do not

prescribe. They are supervised by an experienced GP.

Social Prescriber: can support a wide range of people’s social,

emotional or practical needs, to improve their mental health and

physical wellbeing. They can support those with mild or long-term

mental health problems, complex needs, and social isolation.

Q. Are the appointments bookable online through the NHS and

PatientAccess apps still underutilised?

A. The five Face to Face appointments daily for every GP working

are often un-booked, usually by 15 appointments per day.

Q. Why keep these online bookable appointments available if they

are under-utilised?

A. NHS England and CCG require us to provide patients with

flexible access to appointments. This is a more efficient way to book.

Q. These apps ask for your NHS number. Where can I find it?

A. You can look it up here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-

services/find-nhs-number/

Q. What if there are no more appointments for the Flu jab and I

haven’t had mine through the practice?

A. This has never yet happened. If it did patients can still get a

vaccination from their community pharmacist.

Livi appointments going well: over 1,500 patients have now

registered. 120 appointments were used in the last week of

September with good feedback (4.78 / 5 stars). You can find more

on our website, and at the practice.

Recruitment Update: a Reception Manager and Medical Secretary

joined in early October and six interviews are lined up for mid-

October for roles in reception and admin.

Flu vaccinations: the website has the latest information about the

upcoming flu clinics – we will update this as soon as we are notified

about more supplies coming. PPG will relay this information.

COVID Boosters: The practice is not offering booster jabs. If you

are due a jab the NHS will contact you through the national COVID-

19 vaccination booking service. Boosters are being given at the

Kassam Stadium in Oxford, designated pharmacies and other sites.

General Winter Healthcare Please be proactive in taking care of

your health this winter - hospitals are already busy without Covid-19.

We advise that you wear your mask and keep socially distanced.

Message from the PPG – The PPG welcome patients to their

meetings. Please contact the Secretary – csugden@ocrpl.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cumnor Choral Society

CCS are happily rehearsing Handel’s “Messiah“ in Cumnor Old

School at 8 pm each Friday. The concert is planned to take place in

the church of Saint Peter and St Paul, West Way, Botley on the 27th

November at 7.30pm.

Tickets will eventually be available from Caroline Cockman. Tel:

07961 900670 or cockman.caroline@gmail.com

New singers are very welcome and the only requirement is that you

enjoy singing in sociable company.

If you would like more information please contact John May, email

johnmay@btinternet.com

BOTLEY

APPLE DAY

2021

Sun shone,

apples

chopped,

juice made,

cake eaten,

tea drunk,

good time had

by all.

Roll on next

year!

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

P21/V2542/FUL

4 Stanley Close. Change of use to

HMO including extensions.

Target Decision Date:28 Oct

2 Sept.

P21/V2439/HH

129 Southern Bypass.

Erect detached residential annex.

13 September

TDD: 8 Nov

P21/V2695/HH

Bladon House Stanton Rd. Existing

single-storey replaced with new

single-storey extension.

21 September

TDD: 16 Nov

P21/V2746/HH

The Forresters 54 Hurst Rise Rd.

Extensions & alterations to existing

dwelling & new garage annexe.

27 September

TDD: 22 Nov

P21/V2775/HH

82 Westminster Way. Single storey

rear extension.

29 September

TDD: 24 Nov

P21/V2801/FUL

26 West Way Square. Illuminated

sign, retractable awning, fan

extractor and 2 compressor units.

30 September

TDD: 25 Nov

P21/V2901/HH

46 North Hinksey Lane. Single

storey side & rear extensions, part

first floor rear extension, loft

conversion with dormer window..

11 October

TDD: 6 Dec

Randoms

District councillor surgery

Missing Bean, Saturday 3rd December 1.30 to 3pm

Botley W.I.

Our next regular meeting is on 2 November when Jenny Millin will

talk about her family history in India. All welcome. The Eynsham

Markets ladies will be with us then. A Skittles evening will be held at

the WI hall on 19 November, 7pm. Christmas Fair on 28 November

at the Women’s Institute Hall, North Hinksey Lane (see diary on

back cover). We are looking for a Santa to help us out! Call 07598

251161, Santa, we need you!

Alison Jenner

Are you grieving for a loved one?

Join us for our annual service to Remember those we have Loved

on Sunday 14th November, 5.00pm at the church of St. Peter and

St. Paul, West Way, Botley.

New Botley Health Walks

Come and join this new iniiative. We meet outside Botley Library

every Tuesday morning at 11.00am and walk to a local green space.

The walk usually takes about an hour and is free of charge. See our

Facebook group ‘Botley Health Routes’ (email botleyhealth

routes@gmail.com.) See www.getoxfordshireactive.org for other

Wellbeing walks in the district.

Service of Remembrance

Commonwealth War Graves, Botley Cemetery, 14 November, 10.45.

Oxford Area Quillers

I hope you enjoyed reading about our existence in last month’s

issue. If you are looking for a new hobby for the dark winter

evenings, or indeed a new hobby for any other time, then you are

welcome to come and join us. We meet on a Saturday once a month

at the North Hinksey WI Hall, from 10.30 until around 3 (but people

can drop in and out at times to suit). Remaining dates for this year

are 6th November and 4th December. We hope some of you may

come along and give quilling a go (if you don’t enjoy it then there is

no pressure to join us). Angela Arnold

Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details

to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.

1st Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean

Metson, firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com

2nd Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison

Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com

4th Oxford Scout Group

Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts

mail@thefourth.org.uk Website:

http://www.thefourth.org.uk/

15th Oxford Scout Group

Boys and girls welcome

Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley

Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)

07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Group

Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Badminton Club

Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry

Clark 0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com

BikeSafe. B4044 community

path campaign

Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8

weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org

Books on Wheels R.V.S.

Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142

Botley Boys & Girls F.C.

Football teams from ages 8-16

Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan

Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com

Botley Community Larder

Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West

Way, contact us via Facebook or email

botleylarder@gmail.com

Botley Library

07922 849680. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,

otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).

Botley Seniors Lunch Club

Alternate Thursdays. Seacourt Hall. Jackie Warner

Ox.721386

Cumnor Choral Society

Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142

or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com

Cumnor Chess Club

Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett

862788 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk

Cumnor & District

Historical Society

Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old

School. 01865 724808

Cumnor Gardening Club

http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865

721026

Harmony InSpires, Ladies'

Acappella Singing Group

Wed 7.30 at Appleton Village Hall. C. Casson 01235

831352 or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk

Hill End Volunteer Team

Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org,

call 863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk

Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey

Family club Email: Tennis@OxfordSportsLTC.org

Let’s Sing! – singing group

Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email

emformusic@outlook.com

Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc

Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk

North Hinksey Preschool

and Childcare clubs

Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email

nhps.manager1@gmail.com

N Hinksey Art Group

Weds 10– 12.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997

N Hinksey Bellringers

Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451

N Hinksey Conservation

Volun t eers

Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr

07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com

N Hinksey, Friends of

Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.

N Hinksey Parish Council

Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk

N Hinksey Youth Club

Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book

Oxford Flood Alliance

R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035

Oxford Flower Arranging Club

4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259

Oxford Harmony Men's

Acappella singing group

Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall,

contact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk

Oxford Otters

Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,

twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420

Oxford Rugby Club

Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com

Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.

Raleigh Park, Friends of

raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk

Seacourt Hall Management

Committee

Michael Cockman 07766 317691

michael.cockman@gmail.com.

Shotokan Karate Club

6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450

Walking for Health

2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car

park, Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913

West Oxford Bowls Club

Contact details on

www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk

West Oxford Taekwon Do

Club

Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall

01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk

West Oxford U3A

(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/

West Way Day Centre

Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.

oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Women’s Institute (Botley)

Alison Jenner 07598 251161

alisonjenner@yahoo.com

Weight Watchers

Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com

Baptist Hall

1 Church Way

Contact: Diane Melchert 01865 243664

hall rent botleybaptistchurch@gmail.com

The Rosary Room

Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise

Contact Maria Brown,

Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .

SS Peter & Paul Church

Hall, West Way, Botley

Contact: 01865 242057 or

osneybenefice@outlook.com.

Women's Institute Hall,

North Hinksey Lane

Contact: Val Warner

Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3

Seacourt Hall,

3 Church Way

Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,

or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk

Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,

Elms Rise, Botley

Contact: Darren Blase 241254

louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com

Oxford Rugby Club,

North Hinksey Village

Contact:. Mary Bagnall

mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.

North Hinksey & Botley Churches

Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts

St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane

1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11.3 0 a. m.

3 rd Sunday, Matins 11.3 0 am

St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way

2nd Saturday each Month, 4–6pm Messy Church for children and their

carers

1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy

Communion

All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children

Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House

Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. 01865 242345 or

revclare@btinternet.com

Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic, Yar n ells Hil l

Saturday 6.30 pm. Mass

Sunday 9.15 am Mass

Fr Daniel Lloyd. 07584 323915

dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.

Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way

Sunday Service 11 am.

Wednesday Zoom Bible Study 7.30 p.m.

Choir practice Thursday 2p.m.

Diane Melchert, secretary 07847 62534

www.botleybaptistchurch.org

Calvary Chapel

Sunday services held at Botley School 10.30– 12 noon

Pastor Philip Vickery 01865 864498

calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk;

www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk

Sprout

November 2021

Tues 2nd 1 to 3pm, Seacourt Hall, Baby and Chiid First Aid

Course, run by Botley Bridges

Thur 4th 12 for 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Botley Seniors Lunch

Club

Sat 6th 10.30, W.I. Hall, Oxford Area Quillers

Sat 6th 11am, Church Way, “Botley wants Action on Climate

Change” photo call

Sun 14th 10.45 Botley Cemetery, Service of Remembrance

Sun 14th 5pm, Ss Peter & Paul Church, Service to

remember Loved Ones Lost

Thur 25th 7.30pm, Seacourt Hall, N Hinksey Parish Council

meeting

Thur 21st Seniors Lunch club, as above.

Sat 27th 7.30, Ss P&P, Cumnor Choral, Handel’s “Messiah”

Sun 28th 10–1.30pm, W.I. Hall, Botley W.I. Christmas Market

More local events and information on www.botleyhinksey.org.uk